Fountain pen



May 18, 1965 B. F. MlEssNl-:R

FOUNTAIN PEN Filed Feb. 16, 1962 INVENTOR. 33 BENJA IN F. MIESSMER 5 NNNFIG. 7

IIIIIII Il!!! ffii Il' Ill n Il @e4/ff ATTORNEY UnitedStates Patent O"ice 3,183,893 FOUNTAIN PEN Benjamin F. Miessner, Miami Shores, Fla.,assigner to Miessner Inventions, Inc., Miami Shores, Fla., a corporationof New .iersey Filed Feb. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 173,718 It) Claims. (Cl.1Z0- 48) This invention relates to a fountain pen, and more particularlyto one of the type wherein a reservoir, located toward the rear of thepen and having a volume typically constituting the major portion of theentire pen volume, may be filled with ink, portions of which maythereafter from time to time be transferred forwardly to a smaller spaceor ink-collector communicating through capillary and surface liow withthe writing tip. Pens of that type have been disclosed in various priorpatents to me, among which may be mentioned Nos. 2,724,366 and2,753,846.

In preferred constructions such a pen has a fluid-transfer passageextending between the ink-collector and a point within the reservoiradjacent the rear end of the latter. During filling such a pen is heldwith its rear end up and its front end immersed in an external inksupply, and the wall of the reservoir is repetitively deformed to reduceits volume and to expel air through the passage and ink-collector; aftereach such deformation the wall is allowed to restore itself to itsnormal configuration, each restoration resulting in the sucking up,through the passage, of ink, which from the then-raised rear end of thepassage falls into the intra-reservoir space around the passage, thatrear end always remaining above the level of the ink in the reservoirduring the process. During a transfer of ink from the reservoir to theink-collector such a pen is held with its front end up so that the rearend of the passage is immersed within the ink in the reservoir, and theWall of the reservoir is progressively deformed until enough ink hasbeen forced upwardly through the passage to fill or substantially totill the ink-collector.

In preferred constr-uctions such a pen is provided with a valve normallyclosing the transfer passage and thereby normally insuring the retentionof ink in the reservoir under all conditions of pen orientation,relative internal and external pressures etc. Toward this end Idisclosed in Patent'No. 2,724,366 a valve, located at the rear end ofthe passage, which may be opened by deformation of the wall of thereservoir at that longitudinal region; in that construction, however,that deformation, although usually sufficient for the transfer of inkfrom reservoir to ink-collector, is ineicient in invoking the filling ofthe reservoir, and the users tendency during filling is therefore tocall his other hand into play to effect an independent repetitivedeformation more forwardly along the reservoir wall. On the other handin Patent No. 2,753,846 I disclosed a valve located near thelongitudinal center of the reservoir and of such a construction that thewall deformation required to open it is a deformation which rathereiciently invokes the iilling action; this location of the valve,however, results in the intervention of a substantial length of passagebetween it and the rear end of the passage, in which length ink mayremain undesirably immobilized for substantial periods of time.

Furthermore, in each of these constructions there is required thesecuring of the valve against the wall of the reservoir at a pointremoved from that end of the reservoir which is open prior to iinalassembly, entailing a burdensome locating and securing task. Stillfurther, valves =of either of those constructions are completed andcapable of being tested only after their assembly in the reservoir.Still further, valves of either of those constructions are notcharacterized by the safety feature of being further biased to closedcondition by excess pressure which may be generated from time to time inthe reservoir.

Patented May 18, 1965 It is an object of the present invention toprovide a pen of the type described wherein the valve is located toavoid the immobilization of ink in any appreciable length of thepassage, yet is opened by a wall deformation which efficiently invokesthe reservoir-filling action.

It is another object to provide for such a pen a valve which requires nosecuring to the wall of the reservoir. It is another object to provide avalve which may be completely and fully tested prior to any assemblyinvolving the reservoir. It is another object to provide a valve ofexceptional simplicity and durability. It is another object to provide avalve which is subjected to additional bias to closed condition by anyexcess pressure in the reservoir.

It is another object to provide for such a pen improved and simplifiedvalve-actuating means and arrangements.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ink-I collector ofimproved space eiiciency and other characteristics.

Another object is to provide a generally improved pen of the typedescribed. Still other and allied objects will appear from the followingdescription and the appended claims.

In a principal aspect the invention involves the use of a valve locatedat the rear of the Huid-transfer passage and thus adjacent the rear endof the reservoir, but controlled by the transverse configuration of alongitudinally intermediate portion of the reservoir Walle-eg.,openingly responsive to a transverse deformation of such a wall portion.Alternatively stated, it involves the use of a longitudinally movableclosure member associated with the passage at the rear end of thelatter, but positionally controlled by the transverse configuration, ormotionally responsive to the transverse deformation, of such anintermediate wall portion. Somewhat more specifically, it involves theuse of a sleeve surrounding and longitudinally slidable on a rearportion of the passage-forming tube and valve means at the end of thetube and operated by the sleeve.

In another aspect the invention involves the use of a passage in theform of a tube extending from the lingerpiece of the pen to a pointwithin the reservoir remote from the iinger-piece and a valve, operablefrom exteriorly of the reservoir, supported wholly by the tube. In stillanother aspect it involves the arrangement of the valve so that excesspressure within the reservoir exerts on it an additional closing bias.

In a particular aspect the invention involves, in various forms, aresilient valve-actuating means characterized by longitudinal andtransverse dimensions which vary inversely to each other andtransversely compressible to actuate the valve.

In another particular aspect the invention involves, in various forms,an ink-collector whose rear end portion is operatively free oftransverse subdivision but whose forward portion is transverselysubdivided into a limited number of separate but functionally parallelpaths each of small maximum transverse dimension.

Other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the followingdetailed description 4of my invention hereinafter set forth.V

In that description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view, as seen looking from the bottom andwith the front end of the pen upwardly directed, of a fountain pen inwhich my invention has been embodied in one form, the fractionallycylindrical member forming the point of the pen appearing in elevation;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional View taken along the line 2 2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is -an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3of FIGURE l;

L9 t FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional View taken along the line iF-4 ofFIGURE l;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to the lower-shown portion ofFIGURE 1 but illustrating a modiication of the valve-operating and-actuating means;

FIGURE 6 is a crossfsectional View similar to FIGURE l but illustratinga fountain pen in which my invention has been embodied in a'formmodified in various respects from that shown in FGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIGURE 6;

FlGURE 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 8 3 ofFIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 9 is a cross-sectional View taken talon g the line 9-9 of FIGURE6.

Reference is first invited to FIGURES 1 through 4. Therein the portionof the pen to which the other elements are assembled is a generallycylindrical finger-piece 1t), which may taper toward the front of thepen and which is provided with a longitudinal bore 11 of substantialdiameter extending throughout all excepting the rear portion of thelinger-piece. Into the front part of the bore there may be inset thepoint 1 of the pen, which in form may approximate a cylinder which isvery obliquely truncated so that its top (seen to the right in FIGURE 1)greatly overhangs its bottom (seen to the left) and which iscircumferentially interrupted along its bottom so as to be diametricallyresilient; in a central part of its top it may be provided with a smallhole 2 from which thcre'extends forwardly a cut 3 separating the entireforward portion of the point into two nibs 4 terminating at the front ofthe point (seen at the top'in FIGURE l) in respective halves of theactual writing tip 5. The fractionally cylindrical point may be insetinto the forward portion of the bore 11 if desired, the internaldiameter of the point may be made essentially similar to that of thebore and the bore then locally enlarged, by almost the thickness of thepoint material, in its area against which the point will lie to resultin a slight shoulder 12 around the sides and top of the bore againstwhich the rear end of the point may abut. The finger-piece may ifdesired be obliquely truncated so as almost fully to surround the point1, as to which it will then serve as a hood.

The linger-piece 1) is desirably transparent, and may for example bemolded or otherwise formed of a transparent plastic material.

The greater longitudinal portion of the bore may be disposed to the rearof the point 1 (e.g., to the rear of the shoulder 12), and within boththis portion and the point 1 may be located an ink-collector 15. In theform of the invention shown in FIGURES 1 through 4 the ink-collector maybe constituted by the inner surfaces of the point 1 and of the bore 11,together with a bundle 16 of capillary tubes, Ifor example of stainlesssteel, pressditted within that point and that bore. At their forwardextremities the tubes of the bundle 16 may terminate in an oblique planeroughly coincident with the forward edge of the fractionally cylindricalpoint 1. Desir-ably there will be fluid communication between the rearportions of the tubes of the bundle 16 and of the intersticestherebetween and therearound; this is readily provided, for example, bymaking the rear end of the bore 11 of a wide- V-shaped section againstwhich only the outermost points of the outer tubes of the bundle canabut, and taking care vthat the inner tube (or tubes) shall not veryappreciably rearwardly overhang the outer tubes, the result being aspace 14 at the rear of the ink-collector 15 through which theabovementioned lluid communication is provided for. By way of examplethe bundle 16 has been illustrated as formed of six outer and one innertube, but this is not intended as limitative. The bundle 16 maycooperate with the bore 111 to friction'ally grip the point 1 and thusto insure its retention in proper position. The individual tubes of thebundle 16 may for example be of the order of .060 outside, and .040"inside, diameters.

Even though the ink-collector (including the space 14 as well as thebores of and the interstices between and around the tubes) be full ofink and the front end of the pen be downwardly directed for writing, thesmall lateral dimensions of the bores and interstices will, so long asfluid `flow from the rear into the space 14 is cut olf, limit the flowof ink out of the ink-collector to capillary and surface llow only,toward the front ends of Ithe tubes `and in turn to the nibs 4 of thepoint 1. VAt the same time those small lateral dimensions restrict theupward flow through the ink-collector of air seeking to substituteitself for the ink used in the writing-which flow of air could, if notrestricted, defeat the abovementioned limitation on the outflow of inkfrom the ink-collector.

he reservoir 2li of the pen lies to the rear of the liner-piece 1li,typically having a length of the order of twice that of thelinger-piece. It may be formed by forcetitting, with cement, the mouthof an elongated relatively thin-walled barrel 21 about the rear endportion of the finger-piece, which portion may atan external shoulder 13on the linger-piece be reduced in radius, below the radius of thecentral portion of the linger-piece, by the thickness AVof the barrelwall. The barrel may be a stiff but transversely deformable one-pieceelement, closed at its rear end, and is preferably transparent; itshould remain free of cracking tendencies during a long life and itswall should be and remain impervious to water-vapor passage. To achieverthese several'specications I prefer to use for the material of thebarrel la non-cellulosic plastic, such as that currently available fromEastman Kodak Company under the trade naine Tenite-polypropylene, but nounexpressed limitation thereto is intended.

Means are provided for conducting fluid between the ink-collector 15,specifically the rear portion or space 14 thereof, and a point withinthe reservoir 20 adjacent the rear end thereof. For this purpose theremay be forcefitted from the rear through a central hole in the rearportion of the finger-piece 10 a small-diameter fluid-conductingtransfer tube 2S, for example of stainless steel, the exposed portion ofwhich extends from the nger-piece rearwardly to -a point which after thesubsequent assembly of the barrel 21 to the finger-piece will beadjacent to the rear end of the barrel 21.

The transfer tube is intended to be open, for the transfer of fluidbetween the ink-collector and the reservoir, at appropriate times only.in order that it be normally closed, yet opened at such times, a valve30 is suitably associated with it. According to the invention this valveis located at the rear end of the transfer tube 25, in order that whenthe pen is held in writing position essentially the entire length of thetube 25 remains in free communication with and above the ink-collector15; this in effect joins the space within the transfer tube 25 to theink-collector, so that in the intended writing use of the pen any inkinitially present in the tube 25 becomes simply part of the aggregatecollected ink available for capillary and surface flow to the nibs 4 ofthe point 1. i

The valve may be formed by a narrow cap member 3-1 whose mouth surroundsthe rear end portion of the transfer tube 25 (through the intermediaryof a valveoperating sleeve hereinafter described), which from that mouthextends rearwardly substantially beyond the rear end of that tube, inthe sides of which beyond that end are provided fluidlconducting holes32, and in the inner recess of which is retained a seat member 33. Thisseat member may be in the form of a slightly tapered plug insertedrearwardly, thicker extremity rst, as far as possible into the capmember; an axial hole 34 in the end of the cap member relieves anyentrapment of air which might otherwise cause complications duringattempted full insertion.

In the structure of FIGURES 1 through 4 the cap member 31 is biasedforwardly, so as normally to bring thhe forward end of the seat member33 into abutment against the rear end of the transfer tube 25 and thusto close the valve, by a resilient rubber pad 39 normally at leastslightly compressed between the rear surface of the end of the capmember and the interior surface of the closed rear end of the barrel 21.This pad 39, although effective in the longitudinal direction to biasthe valve 30 to closed condition, effects no significant contribution tothe lateral support of the valve; that support is simply by the transfertube (and through it by the finger-piece 10). T he pad 39 may simply becemented to the end of the cap member (after the insertion into thelatter of the seat member 33, so that it is then permissible to seal offthe hole 34). When the barrel 21 is'laterassembled over the transfertube and valve it passes freely thereover, with no requirement for theinterior assembly of any parts to, or even their compression to fitwithin the bore of, the barrel.

The valve-operating member is the sleeve 3S above referred to, whichsurrounds the transfer tube from near the middle of the exposed part ofthat tube almost to its rear end, the mouth of the cap member 31 beingforce-fitted over the rear end of the sleeve so as to occupy theposition stated in the second preceding paragraph. At the forward end ofthe sleeve 35 there may be soldered or otherwise secured about it awasher 36, forming thereon a terminal iiange. The sleeve 35 is slidablealong the transfer tube 25, thus permitting a limited displacement ofthe sleeve and cap member rearwardly against Vthe force of the biasingpad 39, which displacement will serve to open the valve 30.

The valve is controlled by the transverse contiguration of alongitudinally intermediate portion of the reservoir wall-ie., of such aportion of the barrel 21. More specifically, the valve is closed whenthe transverse configuration of that barrel portion is circular, but thevalve is openingly responsive to a transverse deformation of that barrelportion. ln the structure of FIGURES l through 4 the means through whichthe valve is thus controlled, or through which it is made thusresponsive, is a resilient annulus or"doughnut 40, for example ofrubber. In this annulus, along a diametrical line lying in its centralplane, are formed two holes which just freely surround the tube 25, onwhich tube the annulus is supported immediately in front of the flangedforward end of sleeve 35. Immediately in front of the annulus a washer26 is secured about the tube 25 to form thereon a flange. The overalldimension of the annulus is preferably minutely less than the internaldiameter of the barrel 21, so that there will ordinarily be notransverse compression of the annulus.

In the absence of transverse compression of the annulus llt) the valve36* will be closed under the influence of the biasing pad 39. If,however, the barrel 21 be deformed by a squeezing pressure against itssides which deforms not only it but also the annulus, the resultingelongation of the annulus in the direction longitudinal of the pen willforce the flange 36 and with it the sleeve 35 rearwardly against theforce of the pad 39, thereby opening the valve and rendering thetransfer tube 25 open for the conduction of fluid. Opening of the valveto a modest degrae-sufficient, however, for effective iluid transferwillhave occurred when the deformation of the barrel is minor; progressiveVfurther deformation will of course simply open the valve further.

While the deformation of the barrel is proceeding the `cubic spacewithin the reservoir 20 is being progressively reduced, so that fluidwill be progressively expelled from the reservoir through the transfertube and ink-collector. In turn upon a release of the squeezing pressurethe deformation of the barrel will progressively reduce, and the cubicspace within the reservoir will progressively increase, under theinfluence of the strong restoring force of the barrel; the valve stillbeing open, fluid will be progressively drawn into the reservoir throughthe ink-collector and transfertube-this action continuing until thedeformation has been substantially undone and the valve thereforere-closed.

In the lling of the pen it will be held with its forward end downwardlydirected and immersed in an external ink supply. Whether the quantity ofink in the reservoir 20 be little or much, the valve 3u will be elevatedto above the level of that ink; accordingly the fluid expelled from thereservoir during each deformation of the barrel and annulus will be air.On the other hand the immersion of the forward end in ink causes theiluid drawn into the reservoir during each release of the deformation tobe ink, which from the valve will spill into the then-lower principalportion of the reservoir. An alternation of deformations and'releaseswill serve progressively to exchange the air in the reservoir for ink,and thus to fill the reservoir. The passage of uid through theink-collector and transfer tube during this process thoroughly flushesand thus cleans them.

Upon that closure of the valve 30 which occurs at the cessation offilling (whether that filling be a major or a minor one) both theink-collector and the therewith-communicating transfer tube will be fullof ink. This collected ink will be held therein, despite the raising ofthe forward end of the pen from its immersion, by the action of thesmall lateral dimensions characterizing the ink-collector, mentionedabove; the inlr will, however, pass out therefrom in capillary andsurface flow to the nibs 4 of the point 1, as ink is consumed at the tip5 in writing with the pen.

When not only the transfer tube but also the inkcollector have beenemptied by that consumption, the pen may be held approximately verticalwith its front end up. Whether the quantity of ink in the reservoir 20be little or much, the valve 30 will be immersed in that ink;accordingly the fluid expelled by the transfer tube 25 from thereservoir during a deformation of the barrel and annulus will be ink. Itis expelled into the ink collector, and will not leave the pen unlessand until that inkcollector has been filled as far as the level of thebottom front end (seen in FIGURE l as the left top end) of thevfinger-piece 10. ln practice a single squeeze is more than sufcient tofill the ink-collector by transfer from the reservoir; that squeeze willbe effected gradually, and stopped when the level of ink in theink-collector (observed through the transparent finger-piece)Vapproaches or just reaches the level mentioned in the precedingsentence. It is of course true that were the release also to be effectedvery gradually, the transferred ink could and would re-transfer backinto the reservoir; any substantial such re-transfer is readily avoidedby effecting the release abruptly, so that the valve 30 is closed beforeany significant re-transfer can occur. The abrupt valve closure mayleave the pressure within the reservoir a slightly lessthan-atmosphericone, but this is altogether harmless.

In a typical pen as thus described the reservoir and ink-collectorcapacities are essentially fully usable; they may typically be of theorders of 6 cc. and of 0.6 ce. respectively, so that the overall inkcapacity of the pen is many times the actually usable capacity of aConventional pen. The reservoir is proofed against leakage by the valve,which is positive in action and moreover is closingly responsive topressure within the reservoir (i.e. exerted on the outer surface of thecap member 31) so that, in contrast to usual pens, the effect ofincreased internal pressure or of decreased atmospheric pressure is evenfurther to secure the reservoir against leakage. The distinct inkcollector, although ink can if desired be ejected from it by adeliberate abruptly terminated rapid forward axial movement of the pen,will release ink otherwise only when the point is downwardlydirected-and then only in the capillary and surface flow which is anincident of writing, and which is quite uninuenced by pressure ortemperature variations (certain of which can Vblock the ink iiow fromeven well-filled pens of ordinary construction) In FIGURE l the centralplane of the annulus 40 is shown as extending (in its transversedirection) .from side to side of the pen and the regions at which thebarrel sns-ases T2 21 should be squeezed in order to deform the annulusas well as the barrel therefor as being at the sides of the barrel; itwill be understood, however, that this is by Way of example only.Although those regions to be squeezed for =valve opening are apparentdue to the transparency of the barrel, they may if desired be speciallydesignated as by dots (for example, of a color such as red) enamelled orotherwise fixed on the outside of the barrel opposite the points ofclosest adjacency of theV annulus, as indicated at 22 in FIGURE l.

FIGURE illustrates a limited modification of the structure of FIGURES lthrough 4 in respect of the valve-biasing, -operating and -actuatingmeans. In it the biasing pad 39 is omitted; the annulus, now designatedas 40', is stressedV a little into slightly elliptical configurationwith major axis longitudinal of the pen (being for example made slightlylarger than the annulus 40 so that its nowrninor-axis dimension willstill minutely less than lill the bore of the barrel 21) and the washersor flanges 26 and 36 are replaced by glued joints (27 and 37respectively) of the stressed annulus to the tube 25 and sleeve 35respectively (the sleeve being, for the purpose, somewhat forwardlyextended to pass through a now-enlarged rear hole in the annulus). Theslightly stressed annulus, seeking to restore itself to unstressedcircular configuration, now additionally performs the function ofbiasing the sleeve 35 forwardly and thus the valve Btl to closedcondition; otherwise the operation and use of the pen of FIG- URE 5 isquite similar to that of the pen `of FIGURES 1 through 4.

In FIGURES 6 through 9 I show a pen in which modifications from the pensof earlier igures are made in respect both of the ink-collector and ofthe valveactuating means-it being understood, however, that either ofthese modifications might be employed without the other. Y

Within the iinger-piece (now designated as 19') the ink-collector (nowdesignated as is changed by the elimination of the bundle 16 of tubesand by the use, within the fractionally cylindrical point 1, of a plug17 provided with suitable capillaryand surface-flow paths. The bore ofthe finger-piece (that bore now being designated 11') may throughout itslength be approximately of a diameter corresponding to the outsidediameter of the point 1, although a very slight reducing shoulder' 12 alittle to the rear of the normal position of the rear of the point 1 mayif desired be employed to guard against substantial over-insertion ofthe point and plug. The plug, which may be of either a transparent or anopaque plastic, may be generally in the form of a cylinder which may fitwithin the point 1, but in the circumferential region where the point isinterrupted it may if desired be locally enlarged (see FIGURE 8) to havea radius similar to the outside radius of the point. At its forward endthe plug 17 may terminate in an oblique plane similar to that in whichthe bundle 16 of earlier figures terminates. While at its rear end theplug 17 throughout its cross section may terminate in a normal-to-axisplane approximately coincident with that in which the point 1terminates, that rear end may if desired be bevelled throughout all butits very bottom portion, for example at about 45 to the axis as shown inFIGURES 6 and 7, to result in a minimum rearward extent at the top ofthe pen. The plug 17 (and if desired the forward portion of the bore11') may be minutely tapered toward the rear of the pen (not shownbecause of minuteness) so that the plug will act as a wedge for iixingthe longitudinal position of the point and thereby controlling theextent of forward exposure, and thus the resilience of, the nibs 4.

The capillaryand surface-flow paths mentioned above as being provided inthe plug 17 may comprise a central axial hole 1d (for example of `theorder of .030 diameter) and at least one groove 19 (for example of asimilar order of depth) Yextending longitudinally along and esthroughout the length of the top portion of the plug and communicatingwith the hole 2 from which the cut or slit 3 extends to the tip kof thepoint 1.

This modified ink-collector, which has the advantages of somewhat morenet ink capacity and of somewhat simpler and less expensiveconstruction, I have found thoroughly satisfactory in operation. Therestrictedcross-section paths (now 18 and 19) have anaggregate crosssection very much less than the corresponding paths in the pen ofearlier figures, and thereby provide compensation for the facts thattheir lengths are now shorter (though still somewhat greater than thediameter of the bore 11') and that above them (during an orientation ofthe pen for writing) there may now be an appreciable column of ink-Le.,that in the elongated space now designated as 14-not subdivided intorestricted cross sections. If the rear end of the plug 17 be hevelled asdescribed above, substantially the entirety of the ink in the space 14is available for ow, during the writing, through the hole 18 and groove19, since the pen is then customarily held at an angle of more than fromthe horizontal.

In the pen of FIGURES 6 through 9 the general arrangement of thevalve-operating sleeve 35 may be as in FIGURE 5, but the valve-actuatingmeans is changed from the annulus of that figure to a metallic spring.This spring, which may be formed of wire Vof stainless steel or othercorrosion-resistant wire and is designated as 45, may at one end belooped and secured about the sleeve somewhat rearwardly of the forwardend of that sleeve; may extend therefrom diagonally forwardly to aregion closely adjacent the barrel wall, where a single small loop 46generally parallel to that wall may be formed in it; may extend from theloop 46 diagonally forwardly to have a loop 437 formed in it and securedabout the tube Z5 somewhat forwardly of the forward end of the sleeve35; may Vextend therefrom diagonally rearwardly to a region closelyadjacent the barrel wall at a point transversely opposite to the loop46, at which region another small loop 48 parallel to the barrel wallmay be formed in it; and may extend from the loop 4S diagonallyrearwardly to have its second end looped and secured about the sleeve 35immediately adjacent to its first end. In fabrication the spring 45 maybe formed with its three intermediate loops 46, 47 and 48, and with itsends looped and secured about the sleeve 35 (as by soldering), and mayinitially be adjusted so that ythe outer dimension across the loops 46and 43 is slightly greater than the inside diameter ofthe barrel; in thepositioning of the sleeve 35 on the tube 25 the loop 47 will be firstslipped around the tube 25. With the sleeve 35 in its valve-closingposition, the loop 47 will be moved forwardly sufficiently to contractthe outer dimension across loops 46 and 48 to minutely less than theinside barrel diameter, and thereupon secured (as by soldering) to thetube 25.

Like the annulus 40 or 4h of earlier figures, the quadrilaterallyarranged spring 45 forms a resilient means which is characterized bylongitudinal and transverse dimensions which are inverse functions ofeach other, and which has its end portions in force-transmittingrelationships to the tube 25 and valve-operating sleeve 35 respectively.VLike the annuius 49 of FIGURE 5, the spring 45, secured in place (withthe valve closed) 'in somewhat elongated condition, tends to contractlongitudinally and thereby biases the Vvalve into closed condition;further as in the case of the annulus 40', it is a further elongation,by deformation of the barrel across an appropriate diameter (now thediameter t6-43) which serves to open the valve. Y

While I have Vdisclosed my invention in terms of particular embodimentsthereof it will be understood that I intend thereby no unnecessarylimitations.y Modifications in many respects will be suggested by mydisclosure to those skilied in the art, and such modifications will notnecessarily constitute departures from the spirit of the invention orfrom its scope, which I undertake to define in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a fountain pen having in its forward portion a point and anink-collector from which during writing ink may ow to the point, thecombination of an elongated reservoir positioned to the rear of theink-collector and having a stiif but transversely deformable wall,fluidconducting means extending between the ink-collector and a pointwithin the reservoir adjacent the rear end of the reservoir, valve meansat the rear end of and controlling the conduction of Huid through saidfluid-conducting means, means within the reservoir at a longitudinallyintermediate portion thereof for sensing transverse deformation of theadjacent portion of the reservoir wall, and longitudinally extendingmechanical means coupling said valve means to sensing means foroperation of said valve means upon deformation of said reservoir wallportion.

2. In a fountain pen having in its forward portion a point and anink-collector from which during writing ink may iiow to the point, thecombination of an elongated reservoir positioned to the rear of theink-collector, a tube, extending to have an end at a point within thereservoir remote from the ink-collector, through which fluid may beconducted between the ink-collector and the reservoir, a sleevesurrounding and longitudinally movable on the portion of the tubeadjacent said end thereof, valve means at said end of and effective onsaid tube and operated by said sleeve upon longitudinal movement of saidsleeve, and means for moving said sleeve longitudinally in response totransverse deformation of a longitudinally intermediate portion of thereservoir wall.

3. In a fountain pen having in its forward portion a point and anink-collector from which during writing ink may llow to the point, thecombination of an elongated reservoir positioned to the rear of theink-collector, fluidconducting means extending between the ink-collectorand a point within the reservoir adjacent the rear end of the reservoir,and a valve adjacent that end of the reservoir controlling saidfluid-conducting means and having a longitudinally movable operatingportion exposed within and biased to valve-closing position by excesspressure within the reservoir.

4. In a fountain pen having a point and an ink-collector from whichduring writing ink may flow to the point, the combination of anelongated reservoir positioned to the rear of the ink-collector andhaving a stilf but transversely deformable wall, a tube, extending intothe reservoir through which liuid may be conducted between theinkollector and the reservoir, valve means within the reservoirassociated with and controlling the conduction of iiuid through saidtube, and resilient means, located within the reservoir andcharacterized by longitudinal and transverse dimensions which areinverse functions of each other and having end portions inforce-transmitting relationships to said tube and said Valve meansrespectively, transversely compressed by the reservoir wall upontransverse compression of that wall to subject said valve means tomovement relative to said tube.

5. The subject matter claimed in claim 4 wherein said movement of saidvalve means is an opening movement, and further including meansindependent of said transversely compressible means for imparting aclosing bias to said valve means.

6. The subject matter claimed in claim 4 wherein said movement of saidvalve means is an opening movement and wherein said transverselycompressible means in the absence of externally imposed compressible islongitudinally extended whereby to impart a closing bias to said valvemeans.

7. The subject matter claimed in claim 4 wherein said transverselycompressible means comprises a resilient annulus.

8. The subject matter claimed in claim 4 wherein said transverselycompressible means comprises a quadrilaterally arranged spring.

9. The subject matter claimed in claim l wherein said valve means isnormally closed and wherein the recited operation thereof is an openingthereof.

10. The subject matter claimed in claim 1 wherein said valve meanscomprises a closure member normally biased forwardly against the rearend of said fluid-conducting means and wherein the recited operation ofsaid valve means is a movement of said closure member away from thatrear end.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 651,738 6/00 Wirt120-48 X 1,602,047 10/ 26 Schultheis 251-342 1,669,568 5/28 McGee251-342 2,522,555 9/ 50 Bartell.

2,587,949 3/ 52 Zodtner.

2,693,172 11/54 Meissner 120--48 2,753,846 7/56 Meissner 120--482,771,059 11/56 Meissner 120-48 2,804,846 9/57 Rogers 120-42.16 X

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Examiner.

1. IN A FOUNTAIN PEN HAVING IN ITS FORWARD PORTION A POINT AND ANINK-COLLECTOR FROM WHICH DURING WRITING INK MAY FLOW TO THE POINT, THECOMBINATION OF AN ELONGATED RESERVOIR POSITIONED TO THE REAR OF THEINK-COLLECTOR AND HAVING A STIFF BUT TRANSVERSELY DEFORMABLE WALL,FLUIDCONDUCTING MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN THE INK-COLLECTOR AND A POINTWITHIN THE RESERVOIR ADJACENT THE REAR END OF THE RESERVOIR, VALVE MEANSAT THE REAR END OF AND CONTROLLING THE CONDUCTION OF FLUID THROUGH SAIDFLUID-CONDUCTING MEANS, MEANS WITHIN THE RESERVOIR AT A LONGITUDINALLYINTERMEDIATE PORTION THEREOF FOR SENSING TRANSVERSE DEFORMATION OF THEADJACENT PORTION OF THE RESERVOIR WALL, AND LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDINGMECHANICAL MEANS COUPLING SAID VALVE MEANS TO SENSING MEANS FOROPERATION OF SAID VALVE MEANS UPON DEFORMATION OF SAID RESERVOIR WALLPORTION.